Technology

Future Cosmic Origins (COR) strategic missions require continuous development and improvement of technologies beyond our current state of the art. NASA's Astrophysics Division funds the development of technology at all levels of maturity. The Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) program solicits basic research proposals for investigations relevant to NASA's programs in astronomy and astrophysics. These include research over the entire range of the electromagnetic spectrum, gravitational waves, and particle astrophysics, from basic principles observed and reported through actual systems flight proven through successful mission operations. APRA typically funds development at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1–3, but in some cases the TRL can be higher. APRA funds science and technology investigations that can be carried out with instruments flown on suborbital sounding rockets, stratospheric balloons, or other platforms.

The Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) program, described in the recent Perez et al. paper, "Technology maturation process: The NASA strategic astrophysics technology (SAT) program," matures key technologies that address the needs of specific strategic missions, taking them from proof of concept through component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment (TRL 3–5). The final maturation stages (TRL 6–9) focus on proving flight-worthiness for mission-specific applications, and are thus addressed by specific flight projects. The SAT program is the main technology development vehicle managed by the Program Office, and is the main focus of this page.

Strategic Technology Capability Gaps (see PATR Section 3)

We solicit community input on gaps between the current state of the art and technology needed for the strategic missions of the coming decades. These are collected through the COR Program Analysis Group (COPAG) or directly using our downloadable technology gap submission form.

The most recent technology gaps received from the community cover technologies needed for a range of missions and platforms (underlined gaps were recommended as highest priority for the next SAT solicitation):

See below the deadlines for the current SAT call, which specified the most recent topics solicited. We expect that in the coming years, the SAT program will give priority to technologies that enable or enhance one or more of four mission concepts being studied by NASA in preparation for the 2020 Decadal Survey.

COR Technology Prioritization (see PATR Section 4)

Each year, the COR Program reviews and prioritizes the list of current technology gaps received from the community. While we welcome gap submissions anytime, only those we receive by June 1 are evaluated and prioritized by our Technology Management Board (TMB) in July. Later submissions are evaluated in the following year. (Read more…)

The TMB's prioritization criteria are:

Strategic alignment: How well does the technology align with PCOS science and/or programmatic priorities of the AIP or current programmatic assessment (e.g., the Astrophysics Roadmap)?

Benefits and impacts: How much impact does the technology have on applicable missions? To what degree does it enable and/or enhance achievable science objectives, reduce cost, and/or reduce mission risks?

Scope of applicability: How crosscutting is the technology? How many Astrophysics programs and/or mission concepts would it benefit?

Urgency: When are the enabled/enhanced missions' launches anticipated and/or by when do other schedule drivers require progress?

The top-priority technology recommendations in the most recent rankings are underlined in the list above.

COR Technology Development Portfolio (see PATR Appendix B)

The COR strategic technology development projects span two main topics (click a topic to see our current SAT projects within that arena, as well as information on historical projects).

Benefits Enabled by the SAT Program (see PATR Section 5)

The SAT program matures technologies across the mid-TRL gap, so they can be infused into strategic COR missions and/or enable international collaboration on projects relevant to Program goals. These technologies are also available for infusion into Explorers, suborbital missions, and ground-based experiments. (Read more…)

New H4RG near-IR (0.7-2.0 μm) detectors, developed with the support of the SAT program were adopted by WFIRST/AFTA

Advanced UV-reflective coatings developed and matured by another SAT project led to the PI being invited to implement those for heliophysics Explorers ICON and GOLD

Advanced, high-efficiency, photon-counting CCD detectors developed by an SAT project were implemented into the FIREBall long-duration balloon mission; and as Guide and Focus CCDs for Wafer-Scale Imager for Prime (WaSP) instrument at Palomar and for Caltech Optical Observatory's Zwiki Transient Facility

All eight PIs hired students and/or post-doctoral fellows to assist their technology development work (on average, three or four per project), helping train the next generation of researchers and technologists needed to support future missions.

The Program presents SAT technology development work at conferences such as the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting.

The SAT program (both PCOS and COR) has broad geographic impact, including PI institutions, collaborators and partners, and universities and colleges where students and post-docs involved in SAT projects attend school and work.

Your inputs and suggestions are important to us!

Whether you develop cutting-edge technology or use that technology to expand our understanding of the universe, we encourage you to read the PATR and tell us what you think. This is your opportunity to take an active role in shaping the future of COR science. Please feel free to comment on the technology gaps prioritization process itself as well.